The proposed renovation of the Coast Inn got a unanimous vote of
approval April 14 from the Laguna Beach Planning Commission. But still
unsettled is the question of whether the property — former site of the
Boom Boom Room — will be granted a coveted “K” rating
for its historic importance to the city.

Gay activists have
sought to pressure the owner, Steven Udvar-Hazy, into keeping the Boom
Boom Room open or donating the property to the city as a gay center,
citing its history as a center of gay culture. The bar closed in 2008, but the hotel has remained open at 1401 S. Coast Hwy.

Udvar-Hazy,
who bought the property five years ago, plans to convert the aging 1928
structure from a 25-unit hotel into a 10-suite “boutique” resort with
rooftop pool and 13-space parking garage, according to the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot.

According to plans
approved by the Planning Commission, the owner will restore an original
Spanish-style cupola, turret and awnings to invoke the era of Laguna
Beach in the 1930s and ’40s, when the town was being established as a
resort — but no restaurant or nightclub would be included.

Two bars have been part of the property since it was built, according to records provided to the city by the owner.